Scientists put the “recycling is a distraction” claim to the test

Recycling, greener diets, and other personal climate choices do not seem to distract people from supporting major environmental reforms. A four-year study of nearly 2,800 Australians found that these habits neither increased nor reduced later political engagement.

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Sweden’s hidden rare earth deposits could help break China’s grip

Sweden could become an important source of rare earth elements needed for magnets and green technologies. Instead of extracting one target metal, researchers are cataloging everything contained in Swedish mineral deposits. They will then develop magnets using those naturally available combinations, potentially reducing pollution, waste, and reliance on China.

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Ancient DNA reveals a chilling secret at China’s 4,000-year-old Shimao city

Ancient DNA from China’s vast 4,000-year-old Shimao settlement is revealing how one of East Asia’s earliest complex societies was organized. Researchers found that its people were largely descended from local Yellow River farming communities, but also had genetic ties to distant southern and steppe populations, pointing to extensive prehistoric contact.

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Earth’s waters are quietly running out of oxygen, scientists warn

Oxygen is disappearing from oceans, lakes, rivers, and coastal waters at an alarming rate, threatening aquatic life and weakening the natural processes that help regulate Earth’s climate. Scientists warn that this widespread deoxygenation is closely connected to other major planetary threats, including warming, pollution, biodiversity loss, and ocean acidification.

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AI flags more than 250,000 suspicious cancer research papers

A powerful new AI tool has uncovered what could be one of the biggest integrity problems in modern science. After analyzing 2.6 million cancer research papers published between 1999 and 2024, researchers identified more than 250,000 studies with writing patterns resembling papers suspected of being produced by fraudulent "paper mills."

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Archaeologists found Homer's Iliad inside a 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy

A 1,600-year-old mummy discovered in Egypt has revealed something archaeologists had never seen before: a fragment of Homer’s Iliad used during embalming. The papyrus was identified as part of the famous "Catalogue of Ships," one of the best-known sections of the ancient epic. Researchers say it is the first archaeological evidence of a Greek literary text being intentionally incorporated into the mummification process, adding a fascinating new chapter to the history of both literature and ancient burial customs.

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Scientists discover what kept ancient campfires burning for generations

Nearly 800,000 years ago, early humans living beside a lake in what is now Israel may have chosen the location for one surprisingly practical reason: firewood. Researchers discovered that these ancient people regularly gathered driftwood washed up along the shoreline, giving them an easy, reliable fuel source for cooking fish, processing large animals, making tools, and organizing daily life around hearths.

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